• Off-TopicNo
  • Making Flatpak packages the default on Solus OS

I've been using Solus OS for 3 months and I like it. I've noticed that the team responsible is small. Therefore, I ask why don't you use Flatpaks as the default for programs that you compile? Firefox, Edge, Chrome, GIMP, LibreOffice, and many others are available on Flathub, freeing everyone to dedicate themselves to the operating system itself. I've been using Flatpaks on Solus and the integration is very good. Consider this possibility.

Antonio
(gemini)

    acvsilva
    Distros doing that (mostly) fall in the immutable category with Atomic (or Atomic rollback-type) updates.
    But even Flatpaks get wiggy. Then who do you call?
    I always remember when Josh thought he was coming back, after Beatrice went on her way, he said something like "the goal of a Solus user repo could become a reality." I never forgot this, I thought it was so wise. But it was a blip and never mentioned ever again and Strobl did not come back.

    I personally see your flatpak and raise you a Solus user repo. Can you imagine the two together?
    Can you imagine even 50% of Solus curation farmed out? Be an interesting animal.

    Thumbs up to you for thinking deep about this. I have no idea what Solus devs think, but I think they've tossed around all ideas at one point 🙂 edit: wording

    There are no plans to discontinue providing compiled applications. While this practice started before flatpaks were as widely available and reliable, we still feel that the compiled packages represented the curated, quality software experience we want to provide. As brent points out, we can control the quality of an app we compile, but not a flatpak distributed by someone else.

    Additionally, it would take a lot of work to convert Solus from a distro that provides repo packages + flatpak support to flatpaks as default. This would increase, not decrease the amount of work we do.

    We also have no plans to officially support something like the AUR or a user based repository. This would also be contrary to the goal of having a curated repository of apps. Anyone who wants to package an app can and is encouraged to do so, and submit it for inclusion in the repo. If they are willing to maintain it, and we see it's a quality contribution, we are very like to accept it.

    The only difference between a user packaged thing in a user repo and in the official repo is that the latter has additional quality checks. This is a good thing.

      TraceyC We also have no plans to officially support something like the AUR or a user based repository.

      Oh, so this changed since the "A New Voyage" blog post?

      [...]This would elegantly address several longstanding concerns in how to evolve Solus and bring it into the brave new future. Adopting the the Serpent OS tools and processes would enable Solus to:

      1. Shed technical debt in terms of tools and development processes
      2. Offer seamlessly integrated from-source user repositories, finally making the much asked for Solus User Repository a reality, as well enabling users to self-host personal from-source repositories
      3. Become an atomic and immutable operating system with the benefits that this entails in terms of reliability and security
      4. Be ported to other architectures than x86_64, such as AArch64 and RISC-V, in the future

      https://getsol.us/2023/04/18/a-new-voyage/#solus-v--flexible-rock-solid-performance

        TraceyC Additionally, it would take a lot of work to convert Solus from a distro that provides repo packages + flatpak support to flatpaks as default. This would increase, not decrease the amount of work we do.

        I was spitballing to decrease your workoad! Fail!
        Nice to get clarification on all that just the same, thank you.

        Staudey good god I could not find user-repo source; was starting to think I dreamed it...thanks for furnishing.